Hell's Revelation (Book 3)

Chapter 24

We went our separate ways, the four of us fanning out through the crowd to spread our reach as much as we could through the masses

A murmuring had already begun as Frank clasped shoulders and hissed in ears, voicing aloud the things we were all collectively thinking. Encouraging neighbour to talk to neighbour so that the buzz grew. But I knew it wouldn't beenough unless Lucas, Jesse and I lent a hand.

Jesse surprised me with how he embraced this new task with enthusiasm, and I was glad to see him settling into this new role we'd designed for him. I'd worried how he'd take to being surrounded by so many demons all at once. He may have been physically changed, infected by my Hybrid blood, but in using my power on him I'd all but erased any experience he'd already had among our kind. I'd expected some apprehension, even fear from him, not eagerness.

Lucas on the other hand still looked puzzled. Moving through the throng of demons, absently staring at a few before moving on, making little to no effort to communicate with any of them. He still worried me, but now that we were closer than ever to our goal, with luck I wouldn't need to rest all of my hopes on any of them any longer. He would always worry me,but with support from the masses the responsibility might not feel so heavy on his shoulders.

When it came to performing my own part in this task, I spied a likely looking demon standing alone in the segment of the crowd that had been unofficially designated as my territory. Red skinned and wiry, he stood wringing his hands and muttering anxiously to himself. Spitting, angry expletives were the only words I could actually make out, although I didn't really need to hear it to know what it was that had him so on edge.

"You know he's not telling us the whole story," I muttered conspiratorially in his ear as I sidled up to him with a few swift steps.

The smell that radiated from his hot, clammy flesh smelled like a butcher shop. I wrinkled my nose at our close proximity, but I wouldn't back away. He was by far the easiest of targets to begin with, and I just knew that if I started with him more would soon follow. The churning in my stomach I could ignore for the sake of my revolution.

"Damn right he isn't,the slimy bastard. And that Cleric of his is no better. Think we're all so stupid we'll just believe anything he says and not question what's really going on."

"Mmhmm, and we all really know what it is he's really after here. Just imagine what all our lives will end up like if we let him get away with this." I said, increasing the volume of my voice some more as I noticed more demons turn their attention to us, their interest peaked as we voiced their own concerns. Showing them all that they had allies in their thoughts.

"She's right y'know.If this is so good for us, why's he keeping secrets. Doesn't want us to know how much better it's going to be for him, that's why!" A hump-backed old crone of a demon chimed in, shuffling over to join us in her brown burlap robe that crawled with some living infestation I didn't dare get too close to.

"Well maybe we should wait and see what else he has to say for himself." Another demon added and more and more of them gathered around our conversation; his tone sounding uncertain even as the words left his mouth.

They weren't all entirely comfortable with the idea of rebellion, thinking against their illustrious leader isn't exactly encouraged, let alone voicing openly opposing thoughts. But it was a beginning, and with more outward support they would grow braver in their convictions.

"We can wait. But he won't tell us any more. Anything he really wants to say has been said already, you can bet on that. He'll go over the same thing again,change up the words, big up how this is good for all of demon-kind,and our sector of Hell especially. He'll say what he thinks we need to know and nothing more." I said, shrugging my shoulders and trying not to sound too eager in my opposition of Lucifer.